Las Hilanderas
The artist
Diego Velazquez, the brilliant Spanish master who loved painting everyday scenes with hidden meaning.
What you see
Women busily spinning wool and thread in a workshop, with a bright room behind them where finely dressed ladies look at a tapestry.
The story
Painted around 1657, it is also called 'The Spinners,' and it quietly tells an old Greek myth about a weaving contest.
The style
Velazquez painted the spinning wheel so quickly that its blurred spokes seem to really turn on the canvas.
Look closer
There are two scenes at once: real workers in front and, in the sunny room behind, the myth of Arachne and the goddess Athena.
Where to see it
You can find it in the Prado Museum in Madrid, Spain, close to other great works by Velazquez.
Fun fact
For a long time people thought it just showed a tapestry workshop, until they realized a whole myth was hidden inside.